Hi all, I’m Paul and am fortunate enough to be able live on Pigeon Lake, just outside of Bobcaygeon and am definitely in a rural area. I’m 60 years old and am about to retire this year so I thought I’d take up guitar as a hobby. I took a few lessons way back when I was a teenager but I never really practiced and didn’t stick with it. This time I am highly motivated.
I’m a lefty but was planning on learning to play right-handed and had purchased an Epiphone dreadnought and thought I was all set. I get to the first chord lesson, for the D chord and realized that I had a problem. I played football in high school and injured my ring finger on my left hand which never really healed properly. I can no longer make my finger bend at the first knuckle. I can bend it by using my other hand, it just won’t bend on its own. Kind of hard to play the D chord (or any chord that uses that finger). I exchanged the guitar the day after I bought it for the same guitar in a left-handed model and now I’m good to go. I’m really looking forward to this journey and participating here.
Thanks for having me (and having read this far 
Hi Paul,
Welcome as I live in the UK I googled Pigeon Lake wow what a fantastic place to live and retire 
Glad your ambidextrous now with the guitar good luck with your new fantastic journey.
A
Hi Paul, welcome to the community! Have a lot of fun with your guitar playing. This community is a really supportive place. So don’t hesitate to ask, if you need help!
Good to meet you Paul, welcome! Sounds like you’ve certainly got the bug already which is awesome 
Wishing you lots of fun on the way!
Welcome Paul, so nice you’ve found Justin Guitar and this great community right at the beginning of your guitar journey 
.
Learning to play the guitar is the perfect retirement plan 
.
I wish you lots of fun, and if you need some advice, feedback, or motivational words - just reach out to us .
Hello Paul,
Welcome and a lot of fun the coming decades 
Greetings,Rogier
Hello Paul and welcome to our community.
Obviously left is the way for you to learn. Enjoy your adventure.
Hi Paul, and very welcome to this community. I think for girls there is sweet sixteen, and for guitar playing there are the sweet sixtees 
. Now there are workarounds for
like laying a barre at the 2nd fret and using the index for string 2 at fret 3. After all, Jango Reinhard managed with 3 fingers.
Seeing that you have solved the problem for the time being (until you discover fingerpicking), a can wish you a good start to your journey here, and the many discoveries that you will make, and the many people you will meet on your journey!
Welcome Paul. Newbie also and have found everyone here to be both welcoming and wonderful
Enjoy
Welcome to the community Paul
Welcome to the forum Paul from another Canadian. Is it mandatory to be a Tragically Hip fan living in Bobcaygeon?
I love that. Fantastic. You have fun.
Welcome to the forum, Paul!!!
Have fun!
Paul, welcome to the community forum. You might want to look at the left handed Nitsuj module practice sessions at the end of Grade 1 and 2.
Hi Paul, welcome. You are now set to start. I have the opposite situation with my right middle finger; it cannot fully extend on his own, but so far it works for playing the guitar. There could be some workarounds for finger style when you get there. Enjoy playing the guitar.
Hey Bob, welcome to the community. We also live in a rural area, it’s nice waking up to the sound of birds and such rather than traffic and city noise. I started playing at the age of 53, I turn 65 soon and it’s been a great delight learning to play and sharing my music with other like minded people. Enjoy the journey.
Hi Paul
Nice to meet you and welcome!
So glad you exchanged your guitar for the left-handed model. Have lots of fun!
Welcome Paul playing guitar is a fantastic way to spend retirement I wish you much enjoyment 
Good on you for picking up the guitar! I think you’ll find it’s a wonderful hoppy to spend time in a constructive way. Sorry to hear that the ring finger may be causing you trouble. But hey, where there’s a will there’s a way. Just make sure to enjoy yourself!
Hello from a fellow Ontarian, located east of Toronto!
So glad to hear switching for the left-handed model worked for you.
Wishing you the best on your guitar journey,
Christina